Rant: I'm really getting tired of cyclists in this town (Page 2)

Around here we call them "scofflaw bikers" and they are the bane of every legal cyclist in Seattle and the greater area. the cars hate them, the other cyclists hate them, pedestrians hate them - some of the mare even Bike messengers and somehow thing that excuses them to get away with anything. they do occassionally get tickets but our reduced police force is usually to busy to do it unless it was something done very blatently in front of them.

A local town though, Mercer Island, is NOTORIOUS for giving tickets to cyclists who do not obey the law, do not stop at stop signs or lights, speed (lots of hills on the island), and even not signaling a turn. Some cyclists still do not learn though. Some tickets do get thrown out however as state and local law only defines stopping as coming to a complete stop. There is no requirement to stop for x number of seconds, to put your foot down, or anything else. So if I come to a stop sign, I can track stand for my stop and go when it is my turn.

I see this type of thing in Seattle also.  Try riding out of the commercial district toward the I-90 bike path.  You'll see cyclists not stopping, riding into oncoming traffic, anything to avoid waiting at lights.

One time while I was biking I watched a guy make a left on red through (spaced out) oncoming traffic onto Dearborn.  After the light turned for me, I chased him down and said something like "why don't you wait next time - you get drivers angry at all of us".  Not sure if he cared or not.  But I think they're more likely to listen to another cyclist than to someone in a car.

This is actually the law in Idaho. You don't have to stop at stop signs. You do have to slow and yield to other traffic according to normal stop sign rules, but if there are no other vehicles or it is your turn you can proceed without stopping.

Stop lights on the other hand require a stop unless you are turning right or left onto a one way in which case you don't have to stop.